President Donald Trump this week announced he would suspend all immigration into the U.S. during the coronavirus outbreak – but the ban makes a few exceptions to support the economy and agriculture.
On Tuesday, President Trump said he would sign an executive order blocking permanent residency visas or greencards for 60 days.
However, the still-unwritten plan is expected to allow the U.S. Department of Labor to continue processing visas for foreign workers, including farm workers.
Despite pressure to stop allowing foreign workers into the U.S. during the pandemic, the president has sided with business leaders who say guest workers are necessary to preserve the food supply and keep industries staffed, even with so many Americans out of work, Politico Agriculture reported.
The Trump administration has continued allowing foreign laborers to enter the U.S., and even relaxed requirements and removed limitations for agricultural guest workers last week, to allow them to get jobs faster and stay in the U.S. beyond the three-year maximum limit.
Hemp’s legal status allows farmers and businesses across the U.S. hemp supply chain to access foreign guest worker labor that has long been available to other agricultural industries, offering new solutions for the labor-intensive crop.
